Foxconn A79A-S motherboard with AUX Power connector

[cmichaelt]

The AUX power connector is above the PCI-E slot and is a 4 prong molex receiver. Do i need one plugged in there? At the moment i do not.

 

[CharlieCS]

You do not need to plug a molex , you might need to plug it if you are going to run multi gpu otherwise you are alright .

 

[QuietIce]

I've always used the molex connector. Doesn't some PCIe power come off the motherboard if you don't use it ...?

 

[trents]

Are you talking about axillary power for the video card? Some of the low/mid reange PCI-E video cards do not require axillary power as the high end cards do. They draw their power from the bus. But the high end cards that require axillary power have their own molex receiver pins. Sounds like you are talking about the receiver being right on the motherboard. Am I understanding you correctly?

 

[Neuromancer]

Yah I have never used it, but I also do not run multi-GPU often (I did run 4850s in crossfire on my A79A-s and had no problems at all)

@trents:The 4 pin "harddrive" port on the motherboard. MOLEX is a brand name, it is like saying Ford, when you mean a generic 4 door sedan But it is what most people call it. And yes it is for auxilliary power to teh PCIE slots. I believe it is actually there for midrange cards that do not have their own PCIE power ports but can consume enough electricity that it could overwhelm the PCIE standard

but not positive.


EDIT: it is explained pretty good right here.

http://www.hardwaresecrets.com/printpage/643

 

[QuietIce]

Obviously there's a lot of confusion over the issue. I've always used it and I'll continue to use it until I start running out of molex connectors from the PSU. Here's a quote from that article you linked:

Since connecting the auxiliary power connector won’t hurt, we recommend you to always connect one of them. In fact a safer and clearer instruction would be simply saying to the user to always connect one of the auxiliary power connectors.

 

[Neuromancer]

Thats safe advice

It may have been necessary on older boards. Probably why I have not seen one in a while.

 

[trents]

I looked that board up on NewEgg and there indeed are pins for a molex by the PCI-e connector! Is that common? I've never seen it before.

 

[QuietIce]

The A8N32-SLI (s939) has it but the M2N32-SLI, it's AM2 cousin, does not - nor does the M3A32-SLI, the AM2+ version ...

 

[Neuromancer]

I looked that board up on NewEgg and there indeed are pins for a molex by the PCI-e connector! Is that common? I've never seen it before.

It used to be before 20+4/24 pin connectors.